Not many
adult performers can say
they have two Emmy nominations,
two Young Artist Awards,
a Soap Opera Digest Award
nomination, were a member
of a platinum-selling singing
group and have a successful
acting career. But 16-year-old
Jesse McCartney can. Jesse
grew up in New York with
his whole family performing
together. His family would
do stage productions, rehearsing
for two months each Fall
for what would become the
year’s big musical
every November. Working
in Community Theater opened
Jesse’s eyes to the
joy of singing live and
the discipline of acting.
In June
of 1998, Jesse was cast
in the important role of
Adam Chandler, Jr. on the
hit ABC daytime drama All
My Children. Jesse’s
acting skills on All My
Children were recognized
by three organizations.
He was nominated for an
emmy in 2001 and 2002 for
Best Performance by a Younger
Actor in a Daytime Television
Series and also for a Soap
Opera Disgest Award. He
took home the Young Artist
Award in both 2001 and 2002
which is given in LA each
year. In addition, Jesse
has been seen on television
as a guest star on Law &
Order, Rosie O'Donnell's
Primetime Christmas Special
and in her Big K-Back to
School commercial. In 1998,
at 11 years old, Jesse played
the role of "Scrooge
at 12" opposite Roger
Daltrey's Scrooge in "A
Christmas Carol" at
Madison Square Garden. Jesse
began his professional theatre
career in 1997, playing
Louis, son to Hayley Mills'
Anna, in the Broadway National
Touring Company of "The
King And I."
Jesse
was also, for 3 1/2 years,
a member with four other
boys, of the group Dream
Street. Dream Street's debut
album reached number 1 on
the Billboard independent
Album Charts and soared
to platinum sales. Dream
Street’s songs have
also appeared on the soundtracks
for Pokemon 2000 and The
Little Vampire. Previous
to Dream Street, Jesse was
a lead singer in the youth
group Sugar Beats, formed
by Sherry Kondor, the daughter
of Carole King. Jesse has
performed on four Sugar
Beats CDs: How Sweet It
Is (1998), Wildthing (1999)
and Car Tunes (2000), all
of which won music awards.
In addition Jesse has two
solos on the 2001 CD, A
Sugarbeat's Christmas. (His
solos are Rockin' Around
the Christmas Tree and Little
Saint Nick).
Currently,
Jesse is very excited to
be recording his first solo
CD, scheduled to be released
in the spring of 2004.